North Whatcom Fire and Rescue hires four career firefighters

The next 12 months will be very busy for four new North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) recruits.

Prior to being hired on January 6, the four new recruits – Gary DeJager, Philip Jackson, Alden Roberts and Chris Lubenow – were required to complete a variety of pre-hire testing. This included a written test that covered mechanical aptitude, basic math, spelling, reading comprehension and memorization.

They also participated in a series of interviews as well as a physical abilities test, which entailed lifting objects, climbing stairs and operating in confined spaces. The hiring process started in early November.

The candidates were ultimately ranked, and DeJager, Jackson, Roberts and Lubenow were given conditional offers of employment. They then had to undergo a medical and physical evaluation, a background check, a psychological evaluation and a driving record review prior to being offered full-time jobs.

After being hired full-time, the four recruits were fit-tested for their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), uniforms and bunker gear (the suit worn by firefighters consisting of a fire-resistant coat and pants).

“SCBA is the air pack on their back that’s got compressed breathing air,” explained NWFR division chief of operations Jason Van der Veen. “It allows us to work in smoke-filled environments. The mask is part of that gear, and fit-testing is where we put a probe inside the mask and measure the air pressure while they move their head and neck around, read, talk and perform other movements. This makes sure the seal is not broken.”

The recruits also received an in-depth orientation from the chiefs, administrative staff, union and training division. The recruits then spent a couple of weeks on day shift participating in Emergency Vehicle Incident Prevention (EVIP) and ride-a-longs and learning various operational procedures.

“EVIP is driving practice,” said Van der Veen. “There’s a requirement that we practice driving, and they have been doing it in an ambulance so far. It involves backing around corners, backing up straight, moving forward, being able to judge distance and so forth. It’s just to make us safer and more defensive drivers when we’re out amongst the public.”

On January 22, the group left for the next few months to participate in the Washington State Fire Training Academy located in North Bend. There they will earn their Firefighter 1, Firefighter 2 and Hazmat (hazardous materials) certifications. “They are now in North Bend and have begun their state-level certification training, and they’ll be there for a while and then back to us in about four months roughly,” said NWFR fire marshal and division chief Herschel Rostov.

Following graduation in May, their status will be changed to probationary firefighters. The first two weeks back will consist of finishing touches such as daily shift responsibilities and learning how to utilize all the necessary equipment that may be needed during a call.

The next nine months will incorporate daily training on emergency management skills, fire skills and report writing. All four will be evaluated daily, and will also receive quarterly evaluations by their officers along with the training division.

Their final probationary assessment will be completed at the one-year mark and will consist of a cumulative written and practical exam of all that has been learned.

After utilizing all the information gained over the past year, the operations chief and captains will work together to specifically assign each new firefighter to a permanent shift and station. The placements are a critical piece of the overall process and are intended to benefit the new firefighters and form strong, lasting crews.